Theo Walcott has promised Arsenal’s walking wounded will be ready for their FA Cup showdown with Tottenham.

Walcott admitted the North London derby is the first fixture he looks for in any season and insists he and his fellow Gunners will be fired up for it.

It comes at a difficult time for Arsenal as Olivier Giroud is set to miss out because of an ankle injury while fellow striker Nicklas Bendtner and goal-scoring midfielder Aaron Ramsey are also out.

But winger Walcott says beating the neighbours will be the only inspiration they need to get themselves ready on Saturday.

Walcott said: “The first fixture I always look at is [when we play] Tottenham. Every time Tottenham come here or we go there, you want to put 100 per cent in -more, if you can.

"These are massive games, the games everyone wants to be part of. We’ve had a busy festive period going into the New Year and everyone needs to recover well, which we have been doing.

“Hopefully, players can come back now but Tottenham, we’ve got to be right up for that. I can’t wait for that game.

“I think it’s going to be a bad time for them to play us as well. For the neutrals it’s going to be a very interesting battle. FA Cup is always special, for me, being English as well. I love the FA Cup. I can’t call it. It’s one of those games that’s going to be very open, I’m pretty sure of that.

“Tottenham, since their new manager came in, they’ve done very well to be fair to them. But they won’t want to play us - and it’s at the Emirates.

"We’re trying to make our stadium into a fortress, and we are starting to do that.”

Arsenal’s injury problems could mean a start for Serge Gnabry and even a place on the bench for highly-rated youngster Gedion Zelalem.

But Arsenal’s fixture list gets easier after this weekend and that may dissuade Wenger from making a panic buy in January even though Bendtner could be out for up to six weeks.